TOFINO —A local man has been charged in connection with an alleged physical assault that took place after a disagreement during a surf session Feb. 3 at Cox Bay.

Tofino RCMP Sgt. Jeff Preston said the two surfers, a man and a woman, became involved in a disagreement after a "drop-in situation." The assault apparently took place after the two were involved in some sort of collision in the water.

"The incident occurred after a disagreement regarding right-of-way in the water," Preston said. The man was charged after the woman contacted police the following day (on Feb. 4) to report the incident.

After she reported the incident, police issued court papers to the man. He will appear in court at a later date to answer to the charges. Both people involved are local residents. Preston said the name of the man charged could not be released until Crown counsel approves the charges.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident, he said. Surf etiquette states one rider per wave and the surfer closest to the "peak" - where the wave is breaking - has the right-of-way. If someone is already riding a wave, no one should drop-in or "snake" that person.

A recent small claims court decision in Nova Scotia dealt with the issue of right-of-way while surfing. A man was ordered to pay $750 in damages to replace a surfboard as well as court costs after he collided with another man in the water. No criminal charges were laid in that matter, which came before the courts in January.